AOC executive gives unanimous support to new Chef de Mission

Chesterman, the Australian Olympic Committee vice-president, received unanimous support at an AOC executive meeting in Sydney on Wednesday night.

While acknowledging he's stepping into a challenging role, particularly with the AOC under scrutiny, Chesterman says he brings his experience as Chef de Mission for the Australian Winter Olympics team.

"The focus for me has always been, and will always be, on the athletes,” he said. "It doesn't matter whether they are in a ski suit or a swim suit. Our challenge is how do we give every team member the best chance to produce their best performance on the day that matters most to them.

"As someone who has been involved in winter sports for a long time, I have watched and learned from summer sports across the years. I know there is so much talent in the summer sports, from athletes to coaches to administrators, and I am looking froward to working with them to together create the environment which allows their sports to flourish on the Olympic stage.”

Chesterman will be part of an organisation looking to "reset” itself following an independent review into the workplace culture of the AOC.

In a review conducted by The Ethics Centre following claims levelled at media director Mike Tancred, the AOC was found to have a culture marked by favouritism and unfairness.

Matt Carroll, newly appointed chief executive of the AOC, says the organisation has committed to implementing all 17 recommendations put forward by the Independent Cultural Review.

"This review provides us with the platform to reset the organisation,” he said.

"The AOC's modes of operation that may at one time have served us well are being questioned and our organisational culture has come under scrutiny. The AOC executive acknowledges the reality of the challenge we face in this area and we are committed to build a culture that is fit for purpose and aligned to our espoused values and principles.”